It was only a matter of time before the tech world tried to rewrite history.

Stony Brook University computer science professor Steven Skiena and Google software engineer Charles B. Ward take on this ambitious task in a book published this fall: "Who’s Bigger: Where Historical Figures Really Rank."

Just as Google ranks web pages, the researchers created an algorithm that ranks historical figures by Wikipedia PageRank, article length, and readership, as well as achievement and celebrity.

Their conclusions have not come without controversy. The top 100 significant figures are overwhelming white and male. For example, Nelson Mandela, who helped end Apartheid in South Africa, ranked only 356. And just three women broke the top 100. 

Cass Sunstein of "The New Republic" wrote a sprawling analysis of their findings. She questions not only if we can measure historical significance, but whether we should and certainly why the authors relied solely on the English-language version of Wikipedia. On that note, perhaps we could call these the most important figures in Western history.

  In five years, doctors will use your DNA to keep you well. Cities will be smarter and use social feedback to make residents part of decision-making processes, and retailers will leverage the power of mobile devices to upgrade in-store buying to the point where it will be a better experience than buying online. Or […]

Joseph Aoun – Northeastern University President

Here are the 10 highest paid college presidents:

1. Robert J. Zimmer (University of Chicago) — $3,358,723
2. Joseph E. Aoun (Northeastern University) — $3,121,864
3. Dennis J. Murray (Marist College) — $2,688,148
4. Lee C. Bollinger (Columbia University) — $2,327,344
5. Lawrence S. Bacow (Tufts University) — $2,223,752
6. Amy Gutmann (University of Pennsylvania) — $2,091,764
7. Anthony J. Catanese (Florida Institute of Technology) — $1,884,008
8. Esther L. Barazzone (Chatham University) — $1,812,132
9. Shirley Ann Jackson (Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute) — $1,752,642
10. Richard C. Levin (Yale University) — $1,652,543

The proportion of global kidnappings from Latin America has halved since 2005, but Mexico still leads the pack, according to a new report from Control Risks. Asia and the Pacific had the most recorded kidnaps-for-ransom in 2013, up to 35% of global cases from 31% in 2012. Risks remain in Africa, especially in Nigeria where "the overwhelming majority of incidents taking place in the oil-producing Niger delta." "A large number of cases continued to be reported in the Middle East, fuelled by the unstable security environment created by the Syrian civil war," according to the report. "Kidnapping-for-ransom has become a common problem in Syria and Lebanon, with Lebanon ranking sixth in Control Risks’ global top ten in 2013."

Here are the top 20 countries for kidnap-for-ransom in absolute terms for 2013 (as of September 30):
1. Mexico
2. India
3. Nigeria
4. Pakistan
5. Venezuela
6. Lebanon
7. Philippines
8. Afghanistan
9. Colombia
10. Iraq
11. Syria
12. Guatemala
13. Yemen
14. Libya
15. Egypt
16. Brazil
16. Kenya (tied)
18. Nepal
19. Malaysia
19. South Africa (tied)